Flipped Upside Down
by houseofnightfanclub
Summary: One of the most important rules of vampire hunting is never let a hunter turn into a vampire. Any hunter would want to be dead before being a vampire. But sometimes there is no other choice. When you become the very thing you were trained to hunt and kill, what happens next? (larger summary in chapter 1)
1. Chapter 1

**PLEASE REVIEW  
This is a new story so I would love to hear what you think. Here is a longer summary: _Julian McCaffery is one of the best vampire hunters from one of the deadliest vampire hunting families. Hunting vampires is his past present and future. Generations before him were hunters and that is what he was destined to be. Everything is going just the way he planned. He gets to train his little brother to be a hunter and he gets to hunt with the girl of his dreams. Everything is perfect, but with an old grudge between the McCaffreys and a malicious vampire, tensions are high. Neither Julian, nor his family could have predicted what happened next._**

_. . . _

_Prologue:_

_Julian felt it in every bone in his body. He felt dirty. Disgusting. Revolting. He felt like a monster. "Do it." He fumed. His father didn't, couldn't respond. Julian yelled this time. "Do it!" He clenched his father's shoulders and saw fear in his father's eyes. It was one of the only times Julian saw fear in his father's eyes, but the fear wasn't over Julian's yelling, it was over what Julian was asking him to do. "Jules," His father sounded wounded._

_Cupping his father's neck Julian tenderly pulled his father close and rested his forehead against his father's. Whispering now, tears streaming, Julian pleaded. "Kill me." _

. . .

Chapter 1:

"Your turn," Jules sat crosses-legged on the floor as he assessed the cards in his hand.

While sticking his tongue out, Cody eagerly leaned forward and drew from the deck of cards. He gave an exasperated sigh of defeat. "Nothin'. Your turn," Cody nodded at Lexi who was sitting to his right. She gave a sly smile and drew from the deck. Picking a pair of cards from her hand, she placed two eight of hearts on the floor. Both Cody and Jules groaned in brotherly unison.

"How are you good so good at this game. There's no strategy to it; it's just luck." Jules threw his cards in the center of them, laughing slightly.

Lexi shrugged her shoulders, "I'm just a lucky person. Want more punch?" She grabbed Cody and Jules's cups and went over to the kitchen.

"I think she cheated," Jules whispered to Cody.

"I'm _also_ extraordinarily good at hearing things," Lexi called from the kitchen. Cody burst out in childish laughter then.

Jules and Lexi opted out of hunting for the night to watch Cody, so they decided on playing cards for the night. Cody always hated when he was left behind, but he hadn't been trained yet, plus he was too young to do any real hunting.

Besides, tonight's hunt was easy. Jules's father and Lexi's parents were only after _one_ imprudent vampire. Having five hunters go after one vampire seemed a little excessive.

Julian Lucas McCaffrey—as his father yells when he is angry—always felt protective over his little brother, so when his father asked for Jules to take care of Cody for the night, Jules didn't mind being left behind. And ever since their mother died two years ago Jules's father has been particularly apprehensive about protecting the two boys.

The night Julian's mother died was a night just like any other. Both families—the McCaffrey's and the Astaire's—had gone out hunting (except for Cody, for he was six at the time). They were after one of their long time enemies, a vampire who was extremely old and extremely bloodthirsty. Harrison Cross. One thing Harrison loved to do was kidnap humans and keep them in cages so his clan could feed and torture and kill. Jules and Lexi, both sixteen at the time, were sent to free the humans while the adults went after Harrison. The McCaffery's and Astaire's (Lexi's family) had been hunting this particular vampire for years before Lexi, Jules or Cody had been born, so the hatred between the two was high, making this hunt even more dangerous. At the end of the night, Jules and Lexi freed the imprisoned humans and Harrison was killed, but so was Jules's mother, Lucille.

There had been a stand off between Julian's father and Harrison. Harrison had Lucille in a headlock while Jules's father held Harrison at gunpoint. He fired the gun. All hunters knew not to take the risk since vampires had quicker reflexes, but John was desperate. Harrison's reaction was quicker than the bullet. One quick motion was all it took; her neck was snapped. Immediately after her death, Jules's father, John, attacked the wounded Harrison. In the end, Harrison was the one with the stake through his chest and John was the one without a wife.

However, even thought Harrison is dead his legacy lives on. He only turned one person, a ruthless man named Silas and ever since the death of his maker he has been looking for revenge. This fact makes Jules's father extra cautious around vampires. He couldn't lose another member of his family.

"Jules?" Cody called softly.

"Mmm?" Jules had lain down on his back with his hand resting on his chest; he was tired and it was late. The adults should be back by now, but Jules wasn't afraid something had happened. It's not that he was overly confident, it's that he would know if something was wrong. When his mother died he had not been there; he was still helping the humans escape, but he could feel it. He could feel it in every bone in his body. When she died a sort of thickness came in the air. It was hard to breathe. The same way the air changes before a storm; he knew something was wrong.

Jules didn't feel that now. That's how he knew they were all alive.

"What time did Dad say he was going to be home?" Cody's eyebrows pinched in concern.

Jules looked at his watch, "They're only an hour late. Sometimes it takes longer to catch the bad ones, remember?"

Cody crawled over and rested his head on Jules's chest. Any stranger wouldn't think the two of them were related based on their looks, Cody had dark blonde hair and brown eyes, like their mother, while Jules had dark brown hair and green eyes, like their father. But the two of them could not have been any more like brothers.

"I wish I could be out there with them. I wish you and Lexi didn't have to say behind because of me." Cody mumbled.

"You know why you can't go out yet." As Jules spoke, Cody could feel the vibrations on his ear.

Cody sat up now. "Then train me. You started training when you were six. I'm _eight_! If I were trained, I could be out there soon helping you guys."

The same time Cody turned six, his mother died. The whole family was so shaken up by the whole ordeal that they put off training Cody. But that was two years ago, and Cody still needed to be trained to hunt vampires. Jules secretly thought his father was putting it off on purpose because he didn't want to put Cody's life at risk, but Jules never confronted his father about it.

"I want to be a good hunter like you, Jules." Cody said very quietly. It broke Jules's heart to hear him say that. Jules truly was good at hunting, probably the best. He was agile, strong, and fearless; a true master of his craft, but all of the McCaffrey's were. The McCaffrey family was known for being the best vampire hunters in the business.

Lexi's family, the Astaires, however, were extremely traditional. They killed every vampire. No excuses. It didn't matter if the vampire was trying to live an alternative lifestyle they were monsters and a threat to humanity. The vampire they were hunting tonight fit all their standards. The vampire killed three girls, and wasn't going to stop killing either.

Tonight's hunt was easy. One vampire. So what was taking so long?

One hour and twelve minutes after they said they would, the adults arrived. Blood was splattered on some of their clothing, but none of it (thankfully) seemed to be their own.

"That bastard knew we were coming," John mumbled as he threw his duffle of weapons on the tile in the entryway. Both Cody and Jules got up and the sound of their father's voice. Cody hugged him and John cupped his son's head.

"Did he have backup?" Jules asked and put his hands in his jean pockets.

"No, but he was ready for the fight." John seemed like he was still frustrated.

"But we got him. That's all that matters." Lexi's father spoke now. Hank Astaire and John McCaffrey had been hunting together their entire lives and were practically as close as brothers. "The monster is dead." Hank said finally.

"Good," Lexi said, smiling and hugging her mother.

"Maybe next time you can have more help." Jules hinted at training Cody by smiling at him. Cody was still too young to actually join the hunt, but he could start training and this was Jules's attempt to ask his father permission.

Cody's grin stretched from ear to ear as he looked up at his father. John sighed and said "Maybe." Tired, their father went into the basement to get cleaned up and put away his weapons. This happened sometimes after a hunt. John would isolate himself. Sometimes during the hunt there was moment that would take him back to the night that Lucille died.

"I guess we will see you later," Lexi said, knowing that they should leave.

"Yeah," Jules gave Lexi a hug and a quick kiss on her cheek before she and her parents left.

Before Jules could close the door completely, Cody beamed, "Did you hear that?! 'Maybe!' That's more than we've ever gotten before." He was nearly vibrating with excitement. Their father usually shrugged, mumbled or ignored them completely when they asked.

Jules smiled, "Well then you better get a good nights rest for your big day tomorrow."

Cody turned on his heels and began to run upstairs to his room. "I don't know if I'll even be able to sleep; I'm so excited!"

Jules could hear the door slam and he chuckled softly. If he was going to start training his little brother then he was going to need weapons, which is one reason why he headed downstairs, the other was to check on his father.

Most fathers took their children fishing, or boating, or camping, sometimes even hunting. When they did go hunting, it was for deer or other animals; Jules and his father hunted vampires. Jules grew up sharpening knives and learning exactly where the heart was so he could either stab the vamp or make it suffer. All of his years growing up were in this basement with his father.

"Hey," Jules said as he made his way down the cement steps. The basement of their house also doubled as a safe shelter, which is why it was made out of concrete laced with silver. Concrete keeps it strong and silver keeps the vampires away. On two of the wall were weapons hanging from hooks, below that were drawers full of silver bullets and silver arrows. In the back corner was a steel (silver enforced) cage where a vampire could be held for questioning and/or tortured. Julian's father was at the island table taking apart his gun and cleaning it. He looked up from it to look at his eldest son.

"Should I take the bow, or should I take the gun. He should learn how to shoot both, but I can't remember what's easier to learn first." Jules talked to himself, but also to his father. Technically John McCaffrey should be training Cody, but Jules offered to do it.

"Take the bow. It's harder to learn, but once he knows how to aim everything else will come easily." John paused for a moment. "Are you taking him out into the woods?" John had always been a good hunter. He would stalk the target, figure out its patterns and would strike, unsuspected. John was lethal to any vampire, but he had one exception, he would never kill an innocent, even if he or she were a vampire. It didn't happen often, but every once and a while they would run into a vampire that didn't kill humans. In that case they didn't deserve to die (which is where the McCaffreys and the Astaires disagreed). John lived by that code and so did Julian. In almost everyway, Jules and his father were the same hunter; it was just another thing that made the McCaffrey's so deadly.

"That was the plan. I was also thinking about taking him out around dusk so he can get used to using his night vision. He has a lot to catch up on."

"I know," John set down the gun's parts. "You really think he's ready for this?"

"He's _been_ ready." Jules looked at his father's tired face and added, "It will be okay. I was taught from the best, remember?"

Jules's father nodded his head and smiled, "You two be careful, okay?"

"You know I would never let anything happen to Cody,"

"I know, just be careful."

"We will, dad." Jules grabbed the bag he packed of gear and slung it over his shoulder. "I always am."

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**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I hope the little prologue got you wanting to read more and this first chapter was just to help you understand this world. The next chapter starts the action, but i nedd to make sure you all like this enough for me to continue.**

**REVIEW. PLEASE!**


	2. Chapter 2

**YOU KNOW THE DRILL REad and review! this chapter is more exciting. hope you enjoy**

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Chapter 2:

Jules sat on the bumper of the black Yukon as he waited for Cody. "Are you coming?" Jules called playfully. His legs extended straight and crossed at the ankles as he twirled a dagger in his hands, waiting for his little brother.

Cody, who was struggling to carry a fairly large, black duffle bag, hopped down the house's cement steps. He had the handles pulled up to his chin to prevent the bag from dragging across the ground. "Coming!" Cody threw (as best he could) the duffle bag into the open trunk of the car. Behind Cody, their father stepped out of the house.

The McCaffrey house was an extremely large house that had been passed down throughout the generations, but it was recently redesigned—you could say it was re_vamp_ed. The family had lived there since the 1800s and had been fighting vampires for even longer. There was a white entryway with matching white pillars, while the rest was sided with grey rock. Long strands of ivy climbed up the wall, aging the mansion further. The windows were rectangles with a half circle on top. There was a garden in the front, and the forest in the back. The driveway looped around an island of grass, which is where Jules waited.

"Don't forget this," John held out a necklace with a dangling object hanging from it. Everyone in the family had the same thing. It was a ring of their family crest; once you were a hunter, you got the family crest. This is what Cody's father was giving him now, except the ring wouldn't fit Cody's small finger so he had to wear it as a necklace.

Cody gasped in excitement, "No way!" The McCaffrey crest portrayed a knight's helmet, and a knight riding a horse below it with a lance pointed upwards. The knights. The protectors.

"Your very own." John walked down the steps and secured the chain around his son's neck. "Now, I know it's early, but you have a lot to catch up on." He looked up at Julian. "You two have fun." John looked at Jules. "Don't wear him out too much," Their father smiled and hugged them both before they got in the car and drove off without him.

Cody, sitting in the passenger seat, pulled down the mirror and looked at his necklace. "Wow," he said, still in amazement. "This is really happening isn't it? I'm going to be a hunter!" He practically screamed out the window. Sitting back down, he looked at his brother, "just like you, Jules."

"Well, first things first: I have to make sure you know your stuff," Julian kept two hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road. Where they were going was practically in their backyard, but there was a giant lake in the way so they had to drive around it to get to the open field.

"I've reread all of those dang hunting books a hundred times. Quiz me." Cody didn't go to school; neither did Jules, so all they had were old hunting books. Hunting was all they needed to know, really; it was the world they were destined to live and die in. No need for formal schooling.

"Okay," Julian shifted in his seat. "One: How do you kill a vampire?" With a half smile, Jules looked at Cody sideways. "If you don't know the answer to this one, I will disown you as my brother."

Cody answered confidently, counting on his fingers. "Stake them through the heart, decapitate them, or drain them of their blood."

"Good." Jules nodded. "How can we do that?"

"The bullets in our guns are made of silver—"

"And what's so special about silver?" Julian interrupted.

"It's poisonous to vampires. That's why it's built into all of our weapons. The bullets, the arrows, the knives… etcetera." Cody rolled his hands as he talked. All of this was common knowledge. Jules was almost insulting Cody's intelligence with these questions.

"Did you just say 'etcetera'?" Jules laughed. He took a turn onto an unpaved road. There were woods on either side of them. They were getting close now. "Hmmm. You need a harder question now. How does a human become a vampire?"

"Psh!" Cody waved. "That's easy. A human has to die with vampire blood in their system." He answered expertly. "Next,"

"What's the number one rule of hunting?" Julian glanced over at Cody quickly. Finally, Cody looked a little stumped.

"Um," he said. "Don't ever turn your back—"

"EEEE!" Julian made a sport buzzer noise. More serious now, he added, "Vampires have faster reflexes than your gun or bow. Do not underestimate them. If you're pointing a gun at them, and they have something you want. They will take what you want before the bullet hits their heart."

"That's what happened to Mom right? Dad had the vampire at gunpoint and he fired, but the vampire was too quick and it killed Mom anyway."

"Yes, which is why it is such an important rule. You could save a life."

Julian pulled the Yukon into a clearing and the car's headlights died as he turned off the engine. The only light in the dark night was the moon. Thankfully, the moon was nearly full so it offered a generous amount of light.

Julian and Cody hopped out of the car and grabbed all of the gear out of the trunk. At the edge of the clearing, Jules set up a target. He handed his brother a bow with a bundle of arrows. "You'll learn how to shoot this first." He showed Cody where to grip it and where to load the arrow, how to balance it and how to adjust his stance. "Eventually all of this will be second nature so you won't even half to think about it when you're fighting for real." Julian stood up and walked over to the target.

This wasn't a normal-looking "bull's eye" target, it was in the shape of a body and the bull's eye was where the heart would be. "Shoot here." Julian pointed to the heart. "You shoot or stab a vampire in the heart and it will kill them, but if you miss they are only wounded. The closer you get to the heart, without actually penetrating it, the less the vampire can fight back. They become almost paralyzed, that is why it is so critical to know the anatomy." Julian crossed his muscled arms. "Now, shoot."

Cody raised his bow and his tongue stuck out in the corner of his mouth. He held the bow taught as he tried to find the right spot to shoot.

"Remember to breathe," Julian called.

Cody let go of the arrow and it flew. It hit the target, but it missed the "heart". The arrow stuck out of the lower abdomen area, near the ground. Julian could see that Cody looked a little disappointed that he missed so he yelled, "That was good. Let's try again"

Cody shot about five arrows before he came close to the heart. "Nice!" Julian cheered. He could only imagine how Cody felt. To finally shoot, to finally go hunting was the best thing in the world. It was the same way for Julian when he first came out here to train. It was like something was boxed up inside him and he didn't know it needed to be released until he hunted. It was in their blood to hunt and in every bone in their body. It was who they were. Hunters.

To Julian's right, a branch snapped. Instantly, every muscle in his body contracted, ready to pounce. Instinct. He reached for the knife that was sheathed in his belt.

"Did you see that!? I got it!" Cody cheered, oblivious to the whisper of footsteps. Julian walked quickly over to his brother, telling him to be quiet. "What is it?" Cody was concerned now.

"I heard something," Jules explained. There was another snap of a branch and then what sounded like running. Jules pulled Cody close and kept moving in a circular formation so that the source of the noise wouldn't come up from behind.

"Isn't this cute," a voice came from the shadows. Julian gripped his knife harder and balanced back and forth on the balls of his feet.

The vampire before them was frozen in his mid twenties. He had blonde hair and blood smeared across his face. "Stay here," Julian said, giving Cody another dagger to defend himself. He didn't want to leave his brother—who had little training—alone, but this was just another training opportunity.

Jules lunged forward to attack the vampire. The vampire growled and showed his fangs as they collided. It hissed in Julian's ear, wanting to feast on Julian's neck. They fell on to the forest floor and Julian was pinned under the vampire. Julian pushed at the vampire's shoulders and held the vampire away as it snapped at his neck. Twirling the blade that was still gripped in his hand, Julian stabbed the vampire in the shoulder. It howled and this gave Jules the upper hand. He rolled until he was pinning the vampire down by the shoulders.

Vampires were stronger than humans and grew stronger with age and the fact that it was relatively easy to pin this vamp down told Julian that this was a baby. Most vampires, when they are first turned are unable to control themselves. Newly turned vampires were murderous and feral. They were, however, young and unskilled. Julian pinned him down easily and knew what he had to do after that.

Taking the knife that he had earlier, he plunged it into the monster's chest, purposely missing his heart. The vampire's eyes grew wide and body went slack; it was no longer a threat, but it wasn't dead yet.

"Come here," Julian said to Cody, breathing heavily, whipping some hair out of his face. Cody listened to his brother and walked closer, hesitant at first. "It's okay, he's not going anywhere. I'm going to give you a little vampire anatomy lesson."

The vampire squirmed slightly, but with the knife plunged in his chest, and Julian on top of him, he didn't get very far. The vampire's breathing was short and fast. Cody kneeled by the side of the vampire.

"See where the knife is? Just below the heart and it's made out of silver. Those two things combined are enough to paralyze him." Julian took the dagger from Cody and slit the forearm of the vampire. "Watch how fast it heals." Some blood exited the vampire's body before the wound closed itself. "Vampire's bodies are ten times what humans are. Stronger, faster, they heal quicker, see more, hear more."

"Never underestimate them," Cody said, amazed at his first vampire encounter.

Julian looked up at his brother, "right." He grabbed the vampire by his jaw and pushed its upper lip up, exposing the gums. Taking his free hand he pushed down on the gums of the vampire, forcing the fangs out. The same way people do with vipers. "See?" Julian turned the vampire's head so that Cody could see the fangs. "Change your eyes," Julian ordered the vampire. Nothing. "Change them!" Julian shoved the knife deeper into the vampire's chest. It howled.

The vampire's eyes went from human blue to vampire red. Bright red. Judging by the bright color of its eyes and blood on its chin, the vampire had recently fed.

"You just ate, eh?" Julian asked. The vampire only chuckled darkly in return and then choked out some blood. "Cody," Jules pointed, "in the duffle bag there are black boxes with paper strips in them, will you get it for me?"

Cody obediently ran over to the duffle bag, fished through it and came back with the little black box. "Here,"

Taking out one of the paper strips, Julian took a sample of the vampire's blood from the (already healed) wound on his forearm. Talking to Cody, Julian said, "When a vampire feeds from a human we can detect it with one of these. When they feed from a human, the human produces a hormone from the fear and pain of the attack and it's also secreted at the point of death. This strip of paper it tells me if the blood the vampire fed and killed from a human or not because of that hormone." Julian transferred the blood from the dropper and placed it onto the paper. The end of it immediately turned blue. Human blood. This vampire had killed a human. This vampire needed to die; it was a killer.

"It's human blood. The vampire killed someone." Cody put the pieces together out loud.

"He's killed more than one person. They always do." Jules looked down at the vampire, hand gripped the knife plunged in the vampire's chest, ready to give the deadly twist to finish the vamp off. "Cody, you wanna see your first vampire kill?" Jules pushed the knife deeper.

"Wait," the vampire croaked. Jules slowed only for a second. He has heard vampires plead for their life before. "PLEASE," Now was no different. "I can save you!"

"Jules?" Cody questioned in an uncertain tone.

"I know the name of the vampire who is going to kill you!" The vampire's voice was nothing but a whisper now. The knife was deathly close to its heart.

"Cody, vampires lie and manipulate—" Julian explained.

"He's coming for you. And he can't wait to kill you." The vampire expended every ounce of energy into the warning.

Without a second thought Julian pushed the knife forward and into the vampire's heart. Its eyes glazed over and returned back to their natural blue. All of the vampire's muscles slacked and Jules pushed himself up to his feet. "Any questions?" he looked at his little brother.

"Aim for the heart," Jules reminded Cody, "it works every time." Julian's voice didn't waver. Killing vampires actually soothed him. He may have seemed collected on the outside, but he couldn't stop thinking about what the vampire said: _he's coming for you._

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**PLEASE REVIEW and recommend this. i really see this having potential but not a lot of people are responding to it. PLEASE REVIEW**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sort of a filler. sorry, but these boring chapters need to happen in order to build up the suspense. Do you guys know what's going to happen?**

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Chapter 3:

The car ride back to the McCaffrey house was a quiet one. Neither Cody nor Julian spoke. But even though the car was quiet, Julian's mind was buzzing with thoughts. The warning from the vampire he killed wouldn't leave his mind. The vampire said Julian was going to be murdered. On any other day Julian wouldn't have minded, he would have taken it as he was doing his job right, but it was the warning itself that concerned Jules. Most of the time vampires tried to say it wasn't their fault that they were a murderer, that it wasn't their choice, or that they didn't kill humans. Most of the time they were just pathetic lies and excuses to try and spare their lives, but this time was different.

_He's coming for you. _It wasn't an excuse. It was a warning.

The thought of a vampire stalking him was worrisome, but it was just a part of the job. Plus, Jules didn't want his little brother worrying about him too.

Their father was waiting for them on the steps to the house. As Julian pulled up the suburban, John stood up with a smile on his face. Cody, also smiling, ran out of the passenger seat and up to hug their father. Julian stayed in the drivers seat, staring off into the dark woods as he turned off the engine.

"Well," John stood at the driver's open window with his arms around Cody. "How was it?" Cody, who was being held by his father, responded before Julian could. "It was awesome! I shot the target and Jules fought a real life vampire!" Cody used his hands as he talked.

"Is that right?" Their father responded and looked at Julian, who still hadn't said anything. He didn't want to say anything in front of Cody; he didn't want to make him worry. "Yeah," Jules raked his fingers through his dark hair.

Being a hunter meant Jules, his father, and (soon) Cody could pick up on small things other humans wouldn't. Even though hunters were still human, they trained their sense and reflexes to be heightened, which meant John could sense Julian's nerves. Without saying anything John looked at his eldest son with concern, and, without speaking back, Jules gestured that it was nothing to worry about and put a smile on his face. The two of them often communicated without words like this. "Yeah, Cody saw how to take down a vampire."

"It was so cool, Dad! Jules bobbed and weaved and took down the vamp like it was nothing. He showed me its fangs and eyes and—" Cody stopped talking. The jubilant expressions drained from his face and he looked at Jules.

"And I showed him how to kill it." Jules finished for him, trying to avoid the conversation of what the vampire said for as long as possible. Changing subjects Jules spoke, "You should head off to bed because your training starts again bright and early. Right, Dad?"

After a hesitant pause, "Right." John set Cody down and Cody slowly made his way up to his room. John and Julian walked inside and stayed in the kitchen.

As Jules opened the refrigerator to get the carton of orange juice, his father spoke. "Are you going to tell me what really happened?"

"Nothing happened. I just let the vampire get in my head." Julian shrugged it off.

"What did it say?" John leaned on his arms.

"Anything that came to its head to prevent me from killing it." Julian took a swig of juice straight from the carton. "Nothing special,"

"What was it?" John kept persisting, with a more stern tone this time. He could tell it was really bothering his son.

"It said that there was a vampire that had a bounty on my head."

"Julian!" His father fumed.

"Dad, I was about to kill the vampire. He just made something up. I may only be eighteen, but I've been down this road before. We can't let it get to us. That's just what the vampire would have wanted." Julian and his father rarely fought, but in cases like this, they did. Sometimes Julian was reckless while hunting. He would pull crazy stunts that should have gotten him killed, but somehow he would always come out on top.

"What if it's Silas?" At the mention of Silas, Julian knew his father was truly concerned. It made sense. Silas was the only progeny of Harrison—the vampire that killed Julian's mother and who died because of it. Ever since his maker's death, at the hands of John McCaffrey, Silas has been out for blood. Their blood. Hunter blood. McCaffrey blood.

"We would have heard something—" Julian tried to counter, but he knew his father was right. Whether the vampire's warning had been real or not, the threat of Silas was real. Silas held a grudge with the McCaffrey's.

"I'll ask around. From now on be more careful than usual." John's voice was soft.

When neither of them said anything, John spoke and looked at the clock. 4AM. "I'm going to get up early and go over some basics with Cody, so I better go to bed now or I'll never get up."

"'kay." Julian replied. "I might go over to Lexi's tomorrow."

"Don't say anything to them. Not yet. Last thing we need is Hank getting all riled up over this." John sighed, "no need to get everyone worked up if nothing is happening."

"I won't."

John pulled Julian's head to his chest and kissed it. "See you tomorrow."

"Night."

. . .

The next morning Julian woke up around ten. Usually, hunters didn't sleep much, but it didn't affect them much. They had been trained to be awake while the vampires were stalking around at night, but today Julian was able to sleep in and it felt amazing.

After he grabbed a pair of jeans that smelled reasonably clean and a plain tee shirt, and went downstairs for breakfast. He could hear his father speaking before he even entered the kitchen.

Cody was sitting at one of the barstools and John was in front of him with a stopwatch in his hand and a dismantled gun on the counter.

Grabbing an apple, Julian gave his father a wave before he took his keys and left the house.

Julian didn't have to knock at the Astaire's house; he was practically part of the family. "Hello?" he called as he peeked his head in.

"Hey, Julian!" Mrs. Astaire called from around the corner. She and her husband were at their computers, most likely looking for vampires for the next hunting trip.

"Hey, Mrs. Astaire, how are you?" Jules closed the door and stepped inside. He leaned on the doorway of their office momentarily.

"Good!" she answered happily. "Looks like we may be going out later. We got a call saying there was a vamp sighting down by the lake. We might grab your dad and check it out."

"Sounds good," Jules was at the stairs already, "Cody is training with my dad so he'd love to go."

"Great. Lexi's upstairs," Mrs. Astaire called, but Julian was already on the top step.

He knocked on her door and she was lying on her bed, with white headphones in her ears and knives splayed out in front of her. Her room was the color of the Caribbean ocean and everything that garnished the room—bed frame, picture frames, and bed table—was wood. Black tree branches were painted on one wall and everything had a nature feel. It made sense. Most of the time they were hunting in the woods; it's where most hunters felt most comfortable.

"Hey, Jules!" she popped an ear bud out of her ear. Lexi and Jules had been with each other for as long as he could remember. Since his father and her father had grown up together, it only made sense that their children grew up together too. It wasn't until Julian was twelve that he realize Lexi was the most beautiful girl in the world.

He fell in love with the way her blonde hair didn't want to stay straight, and would always turn into waves by the end of the night. He loved her blue eyes, how they were the same color of the dusk sky just after the sun disappeared. He loved how when she smiled small wrinkles appeared and when she laughed, she laughed with her eyes closed.

"What are you up to?" Jules closed the door as he entered her room.

"Sharpening my knives," she stated, humming slightly.

"That's so sexy," Jules joked. Their conversations probably weren't the same as normal couples, but they weren't normal people. They were hunters.

Lexi picked up one of the knives that was in her drawer. Knives were her weapons of choice. Lexi could throw a dagger from 25 yards away and get it unnervingly close to a vampire's heart. She inherited the skill from her mother.

"So what's the plan for today?" she asked. She was wearing jeans and a dark green top that was cut just low enough to tease cleavage.

"I guess we have the day to ourselves. Your parents and my dad are going to check out a call. We could go with them if you want," Jules left the subject open. As much as he loved hunting, he could sit out a time or two to be with Lexi.

"Let's compromise." She said. "We can just hang here, _and_ look for more jobs."

"Fine with me," Julian collapsed onto the bed next to Lexi, causing her to bounce up and roll onto him. Their mouths were close enough to kiss. "This is also fine with me." She pushed against his chest to get repositioned and smiled.

She grabbed her laptop to start searching for cases. Jules still laid by her side with one arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling. All he could hear was her clacking away at her keyboard.

"We should get married." Jules said.

"WHAT?!" Lexi turned to face him. He sat up on his elbows.

"I'm serious. N-not right away, but… I love you." He was looking up at her now. "I love hunting with you. I love being with you. I love sitting here and doing absolutely nothing with you."

"I love you too, but _marriage_?" Lexi laughed nervously, "Yeah, it's a little early to be talking about that. We're eighteen, Jules."

"You can get married when you're eighteen—"

"JULIAN!" She rolled her eyes and Julian only laughed.

More serious now he added, "I only say it because I never know if a time will come when I can't. I don't want to lose you and I don't want to leave you. You know what hunting does. It's a dangerous job. One day people may not be there and you'll be left behind with all of the things you wanted to tell them."

After a moment of silence Lexi added. "What the hell is that all about?"

Julian thought about telling her. He thought about saying that Silas might be after him, but he didn't want to scare her, and he promised his father he wouldn't say anything. No need getting everyone all worked up. "It's nothing. I… just want you to know that."

"I _do_ know that." Lexi looked at him. "And I want _you_ to know that you can trust me with anything." She knew he was lying.

It was killing Jules not to say anything. Usually he didn't have to keep anything from Lexi, so this was hard for him. "I know," he stretched up so that his lips could touch hers and he kissed her. She had the softest, plump lips. "And if it becomes something serious you will be the first to know." He kissed her more. "I promise."

. . .

After spending the afternoon alone with Lexi, Jules heard Lexi's parents come back. The door slammed, unusually hard, so they went downstairs to check it out.

"What's going on?" Lexi asked.

Her father looked outraged. "Vamps." He grumbled.

"What happened?" Jules asked this time.

"We went down to the lake to check on that call we got and saw a vamp rinsing off—there was blood all over his mouth. And it turns out the vamp doesn't feed from humans, just animals and bags. And your father insisted on letting the bloodsucker live." Hank Astaire was almost breathless from venting.

"Well it's not harming anyone," Jules commented. Jules had the same opinion as his father. Vampires didn't need to die if they weren't murderous. Most of the vampires out there didn't choose their life, but most of them chose to murder. It wasn't very often they came across a peaceful vampire and when they did, Hank and John always had their disagreements.

A lot of hunters would side with Hank because they could relate. Many hunters out there got into the business because they were forced into it. In Hank's situation, a vampire killed both of his parents and brother slowly in front of him. Hank was only twelve. A hunter, who came just in the knick of time, luckily saved him. The hunter that saved Hank was Julian's grandfather. He took Hank in and raised him along with John, but that didn't stop Hank from wanting vengeance on every vampire he came across.

"You can never trust a vampire." Hank said tightly.

Once again, the warning from the vampire became real. Vampires were the most unpredictable creatures. They could hold a grudge and patiently wait for the right moment to attack. Even more, they were the most bloodthirsty. If Silas truly was after Jules and his family, which was a huge possibility, they needed to be ready.

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**PLEASE REVIEW! I really like hearing what you guys are thinking.**


	4. Chapter 4

**SORRY it took so long to post. I had a crazy bunch of weeks happen. The next chapter will be posted asap, but i can't make any promises. (and i try to post soon because i love this story) **

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Chapter 4:

Lexi was out in the woods in her blind that her family had built onto a tree, about twenty feet up. She sat cross-legged with her back straight against the door. The hunting blind was what looked like a fort structure and then a small porch. Inside there was a couch and a desk for organizing weapons. She was sitting on the porch, looking down for any activity.

But there hadn't been much activity. She saw a deer graze along the grass. She saw a hawk dive after a field mouse. Still, she'd rather be out here than home.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Generally, vampires brought their prey into the forest so when they were done they could easily dispose of the bodies and make it look like an animal attack. Lexi loosened her grip on her knife, making sure she was ready to throw the silver infused weapon at any moment.

She stood up to get a better view and her muscles tensed. She held her breath. The footsteps drew closer. She looked one more time to throw her knife and recognized the person below.

"Hey! Woah! It's me." Julian put his hands up in surrender. "And I brought lunch." He held up a plastic bag. Lexi smirked as she leaned over the porch to look at Julian. "Your parents said you were out here so I thought I'd join." He said as he reached the top of the ladder and crawled onto the platform. They both sat with their legs dangling over the edge. Julian took a bite of his sandwich.

"So, why'd you really come out here?" Lexi asked.

"Same reason you always come," he half mumbled with food still in his mouth. "I just need to think. Some alone time, ya know?"

Lexi giggled. "It's not exactly alone time if I'm here too."

"Maybe I wanted my alone time to be _with_ you." Jules looked at her.

"Not this again," Lexi sighed. "What is it with you lately. Aren't girlfriends supposed to be the clingy ones?" Julian didn't respond. "What is on your mind?" Lexi asked softly.

Jules thought about lying but couldn't. "Silas. I'm afraid he might be after me." Julian said in one breath.

"What? Now?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if he is actually coming for me. Some vampire I killed said it as a last resort for all I know. I just…if it's real—"

"I know," Lexi kissed him on the mouth slowly. "Even if it's not real, the threat is there. It's always been there since your dad killed Harrison."

"Exactly. And I think our time is running out. He's been planning something and it's only a matter of time before he attacks."

"You know that my parents and I will help you and your family—any hunter will help you." Lexi said with her hands on Julian's hands.

Julian looked as if he were thinking about what to say next. He looked like a soldier who had received information on a suicide mission, but knew it had to be done. Silas was their most dangerous threat. Julian looked scared.

He didn't want to leave his father or Cody behind. He didn't want to leave Lexi behind, so he took advantage of the precious time he had with her, just in case, and kissed her. Hard.

He cupped his hands behind her neck and pulled her close. Lexi sucked in a surprised breath and let it out in a moan as she closed her eyes. She let her arms wrap around his waist and feel his hard body there. Everything about him was angles and lines. Julian had carved his body to perfection with years of practice and training. Muscles corded his arms and legs, and defined his abdomen and hips. Where Julian was hard lines, Lexi was sweet curves. Her bust and bottom were the perfect proportion and Julian knew it. His hand traveled south to pull her waist close to his. He could feel their clothing touch; there were so few layers teasing between their sensitive skin. Their lips worked together in synchronization, the type of synchronization that years of being together produced. They knew each other's bodies and they fit together perfectly.

Lexi pushed herself of off him (she thought she heard him groan), smiled, and guided him inside the blind, so they wouldn't be seen. Even if there was no activity, they still wanted their privacy.

Julian closed the door behind him, and Lexi sat on the couch waiting. Julian came over, pulled off his shirt and continued kissing her. His shirt landed in the corner and Lexi eagerly explore his defined abdomen. Julian carefully bit at her neck. Her skin was supersensitive there and she moaned more. Julian pushed his hands up her shirt and cupped her breast, eventually taking her shirt off altogether.

Grabbing the belt loops of his pants, Lexi pulled him close. Julian had one hand in her blonde hair gripping it playfully tight, and the other hand was supporting his weight.

Lexi's exploring hands eventually found the button on his jeans and popped it open stroking what was inside. She could feel him smile as he kissed her lips. "I love you," he breathed out in her ear.

"I love you too," she kissed his neck.

He sat up so he could finally take his pants off all the way; they landed in the corner near the rest of their clothes.

.

Lexi was laying her head on Julian's bare chest. One of his arms was around her in an embrace and the other rested on the lower part of his chest. His chest was warm when Lexi leaned her head on him. She loved when they lay together like this, after being so passionately intimate, but now was a different kind of intimacy, but still nice. Now was not lust or anything, but a way to comfort her. There's a sense of security for her, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his breath in her hair. She intertwined her fingers in his.

They had found a blanket to cover the lower half of their bodies. They had already seen each other naked, but the moment was over. Plus, there was something about sharing a blanket with someone that both of them loved—the closeness, the warmth.

It wasn't their first time either. That time was about a year ago. They figured they wouldn't find anyone else. They loved each other from the beginning, so why not express that love?

Lexi was about to speak when they heard footsteps outside. Both of them—with their hunter instincts—tensed and listened. "Did you hear that?" Julian grabbed his pants and quickly pulled them on, looked out the window and pulled his shirt on. He turned around with a devious smile. "Vamp." He took Lexi's clothes to her. "This day just gets better and better. Hunting and the day with the most gorgeous girl in the world." Julian's smile grew. "How'd I get so lucky?"

When they were both dressed they went out onto the platform. Sure enough there was a vampire feeding from a limp, human body. No testing needed to tell this vampire was a killer.

Lexi pulled her arm back, ready to throw her knife at any moment. She just had to wait for the vampire to turn ever so slightly. She wasn't aiming to kill it, not yet at least.

The vampire had been crouching by the body as it fed and when it sat up, Lexi threw her dagger. It plunged into the vampire's back and it howled, falling to the side and paralyzed from the wound. "Nice shot," Julian said as he pulled out his own dagger from his waistband.

Julian was excellent in hand-to-hand combat, as well as archery, so he did most of the dirty work in case the vampire got out of control. There was a part of him that loved killing vampires. He loved knowing that the monster would no longer walk the earth or hurt another soul.

Julian climbed down the ladder, Lexi followed, and they walked over to the two bodies. The human was dead. Pale and bloody. The vampire was taking in short staccato breaths. Julian rolled the vampire with his boot so he could see its face. The vampire's red eyes knew exactly what was going to happen next. But instead of whimpering, or fighting back, the vampire smiled and laughed softly when it saw Julian's face.

Julian knelt down on one knee as he placed the dagger under the vampire's chin, pushing just enough on its neck to make a line of red appear. The silver in the knife made the vampire's skin sizzle. "What's so funny?"

"Not many more vampires can say they were attacked by the famous hunter, Julian McCaffrey." The vampire readjusted. "I'm honored."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lexi asked, her own knife twirling in her hand.

The vampire smiled wickedly again. "Your boyfriend's not going to be hunting with you much longer. I only wish I could be around to see it." The vampire sounded nostalgic and looked at both of them. "Unfortunately it looks like I'm not going to make it through this one."

Julian looked back at Lexi and her face was frozen. He looked back at the vampire. "What's the name of the vampire that wants to kill me?" The vampire only smiled. "Is it Silas?!" Julian yelled.

"Kill you?" the vampire sounded incredulous. "No. That would be too kind."

"Is it Silas?" Julian yelled, pushing the knife deeper into that vampire's neck.

"I guess you'll just have to find out now won't you?" The vampire's voice was merely a whisper.

In rage, Julian sliced the knife through the vampire's neck, decapitating it. He felt a hand on his shoulder; it was Lexi. Without looking at her he said, "I'm going home to do some research and see if I can find where Silas had been hiding. This all needs to end. Now. No more threats. No more cryptic messages."

. . .

Jules sat at the barstool as he researched on his laptop. Cody and their father were at the counter as well, continuing Cody's training. As John asked questions, Cody rambled off answers in a monotone, bored tone. He held his head in his hands that pushed his cheeks into a chipmunk shape. Julian smiled slightly. Cody had wanted to be a hunter for so long, but training isn't as glamorous as hunting itself. He found that out very quickly.

Researching was now quite easy after John saved the police chief's daughter from a vampire. Now, whenever they searched for cases, they have an 'in' at the police's missing persons investigations.

That was Silas's tell. Missing people would turn up in the police search. Most of the time kidnappings were just random occurrences and not vampire related, but Silas would strategically kidnap many different people within a week. Most of the time there was no pattern to Silas's kidnappings, but he always chose people with the same blood types. The chief of police would turn a blind eye to the investigation and let the hunters figure it out and return the victims to their families.

Within an hour of looking, Julian found a hit. "Hey I think I found something," he said aloud. Both Cody and John stopped what they were doing and listened. Julian read the story, "This Thursday, the sixth victim has been reported missing within two weeks. Two bodies have been found, and gang-related initiation is presumed to be the culprit."

"What did the police report say?" Julian's father asked. Usually, it was the police report that told them whether or not the case was worthwhile.

"Several puncture wounds and exsanguination." Julian read.

"Blood loss?" Cody asked intelligently. Julian smiled. _How many eight year olds knew what exsanguination meant?_ Julian thought for a moment, _well,_ _how many eight year olds were training to be vampire hunters. _"Sounds like our kind of thing. They all have the same blood type too. B positive." Cody said with a smile, thinking he could finally go hunting for real.

"Silas's favorite… sounds like something he would do." John said cryptically. Silas was known for keeping humans and draining them to the point of death. Last time they went to save captured humans, Julian's mother was killed.

"Then we should go after him. We can't let him get away this time." Jules said vengefully. "You know that better than anyone. Silas needs to die."

"But we have to be careful. _You_ know that better than anyone." John criticized.

Julian ignored his father's comment. "We need to get the upper hand on Silas before it's too late. _You_ know that." Julian left the counter and went to go pack his gear.

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**I hope the suspense is gathering. Do you know what is going to happen next?**

**REVIEW PLEASE! xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**and NOW, we are getting to the juicy parts... ENJOY**

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Chapter 5:

Carrying a duffle bag of knives, silver powder, and stakes, Jules loaded the suburban. Lexi and her parents had come since Jules had started packing and they were transferring their supplies from one car to the other. It probably would be easier to take two cars instead of squishing into one, but they had to avoid being separated at all costs. This hunt was just too risky; everything had to be perfect.

"Silas's old warehouse is here," Hank Astaire said, pointing at a map. "I talked with some hunters and they said they saw some activity there. We should check it out, and if it's the real deal. We should be able to find the captive humans there. If we park here," he pointed again. "We can trek through the woods and our attack will go unnoticed. We will still have the element of surprise on our side."

"Hank, Lexi and I will take care of the guards so you two can go after Silas—that's your fight, not ours. After the threat is gone we can save the humans." Mrs. Astaire said.

"Wait!" Cody called from behind. "Where do I come in? Don't I get fight with you? I'm trained now."

"You still have a lot more training to do and besides, it's too dangerous." John said. "You're going to have to sit this one out, son."

Cody gave a look of hurt. "I'll never be old enough will I? You've been putting this off for years and now that I've trained you still won't let me go!?" Cody's voice squeaked slightly when it rose in pitch.

The hunters were quiet. Julian pulled out the gun that was holstered at his side and gave it to Cody. "He's got good aim, Dad. It's in his blood. " Cody smiled slightly and looked back at his father with his eyebrows pinched, waiting for an answer.

After a while, John spoke. "Fine." Cody's small smile turned into a beaming grin. "_But_, you have to stay by the car. You still haven't gone through hand to hand combat." Cody sighed. "Yes, you're more mature than most eight year olds, but you're still eight. You'll never be able to take on a vampire on your own. You'll get your chance, just not today." John said. "Agree?"

"Yeah, okay." Cody mumbled. John ruffled Cody's hair before they all packed into the suburban.

John was driving and Hank was in the passenger seat. Lexi and Mrs. Astaire were sitting behind them, along with Cody. Jules was in the back, sitting on the floor of the suburban while he loaded all of the weapons.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. They all got out of the car. Jules kneeled next to Cody and cocked the gun. "The safety is off now. Aim and pull the trigger. If you see anyone you don't recognize, pull the trigger and aim for the heart. Don't hesitate."

"Okay," Cody said softly. He seemed a little shaken now that he was actually this close to a hunt.

"Everything will be all right." Julian said with a smile. "I know it's boring to wait at the car, but next week I'll show you some hand to hand combat so you can fight with us next time. Promise." Julian whispered so Cody would only hear it. Cody smiled. Julian gave the gun back and bumped fists with Cody.

Everyone had their gear and weapons. "Ready? Julian asked.

. . .

They walked through the forest at a slow pace, each step carefully placed, not making a sound. About a mile in, they finally found what they were looking for. Two vampires were patrolling an invisible border. This had to be where Silas was keeping the humans, or else there would be no need for guards. He and his clan must be feeding here.

Hank raised his crossbow and silently fired at the first vampire—a direct hit to the heart. The second vampire only had time to spin around and hiss at the attacker before it was too killed. Hank retrieved the arrows from the bodies. "We'll take care of the perimeter from here."

With that, Jules and his father took off to find the warehouse.

There was a fenced courtyard that surrounded the metal building. Years had taken it's toll on the building and was making it rust. Grass was consuming the sides and the windows were covered in a layer of dust. There were more guards patrolling outside than usual. Julian wondered for a moment whether Silas knew they were coming. Usually they didn't have this many guards. Usually they were all feasting on helpless humans. If Silas knew the hunters were coming, did that mean he would be ready for a fight? Julian thought they had the element of surprise. Maybe all of the guards were all just a trick to distract the hunters from Silas's true hiding spot.

Making sure to stay silent, Julian and John took care of every vampire that got in their way. Under the McCaffrey code, they would normally check and make sure they were all murderers, but there was no need. If they were intertwined with Silas they were more than likely murderers.

John opened a steel door and the light from the full moon was the only thing that lit the room. All of the hallways were black. A vampire would see perfectly fine with their enhanced night vision, but humans were not so lucky. The hunters were at a disadvantage.

Julian turned on the dim flashlight that was attached to the top of his gun and started walking forward.

The floor of the warehouse was made of cement and covered in rubble. Occasionally there was a dried pool of blood, followed by a dragging pattern—only more evidence of the horrible things that happened here.

They came up to a hallway the split into two. "We shouldn't split up." John whispered.

A female scream echoed through the hard building. Julian quickly turned his light down the hallway, but found nothing but emptiness. There was twisted laughter that followed. "I'll look for the humans. You look for Silas." Julian turned and saw a door, opened it, checked inside and saw that it was empty. "We'll meet back here in fifteen minutes." He made an X in the wall with his knife.

His son had grown up to be such a good hunter, even better than himself. _He can take care of himself if he gets into trouble_, John thought. Grudgingly, John agreed to split up. He looked at his watch and noted the time. John nodded and Julian carefully began walking in the opposite direction. They would get more ground covered this way. This whole thing was probably all a set up anyway. Vampires were usually a step ahead. They were devious. Silas probably wasn't even here. He probably just sent some of his newborn henchmen here as a distraction.

John continued to walk the halls with his flashlight and gun. So far he had seen no activity; he only heard the sounds of tortured humans and hungry vampires. Even if Silas weren't here, the hunters would still be able to save the humans, which was good.

There was an echo of a foot shuffling across the dirty floor. John raised his flashlight and it came across a red-eyed vampire. It hissed as it attacked and knocked John's gun to the floor before he could shoot. The vampire pinned him to the wall and bit at John's neck, coming away with blood. Getting bit wouldn't turn a human, but it still hurt like a bitch.

John wailed and pulled the knife from his waistband and plunged it into the vampire's shoulder. It howled too as it staggered back a few steps back. The silver in the blade made the vampire's skin smoke. While it was looking at its wound, John kicked the back of its knees, making the vampire fall to the ground.

John grabbed his gun and blinded the vampire with the flashlight as he reached for his knife that was still protruding the vampire. With a grunt, John yanked the blade out and plunged it into the vampire's heart. The body went limp.

John stood up and pushed the hair out of his eyes. He had walked the length of the hallway and came to a dead end. There were two doors at the end of the hallway, but they were bricked up. John looked at his watch and started back to the room Julian had marked.

He hadn't heard any scuffles echo, so he figured Julian didn't run into any problems, but he couldn't have been any more wrong.

. . .

Cody sat on the bumper of the suburban. The back was still lifted open and he let his legs swing. The gun Julian had given him laid next to him, but he wasn't all that interested in it. Guns were noisy and attracted vampires. Bows and knives were the way to go because they were silent, that's why most hunters used them as weapons. Guns were only used as a last, quick resort.

There were still a few knives left and Cody picked up one. The blade was shiny and had a jagged edge on one side. The handle was black and had the McCaffrey crest on it. Cody rubbed his fingers over it.

Restless, Cody jumped onto the ground and over to a tree. He picked a spot and threw the knife. It stuck about a foot below were he wanted it to land. Upset, he took the knife out of the tree and tried again, again and again. Each time the knife hit the tree it landed with a 'thump'.

Soon Cody grew tired and picked up a stick to whittle as he waited for everyone else to return. He carved the end to a point as he sat on the car's bumper.

"That'd make a pretty good stake," Lexi said. She was a little breathless, but she and her family all looked in tact as they reappeared from the woods. "Where's Jules and your dad?" she asked.

Cody shrugged, "There not back yet."

Hank looked at his watch, "give them some time. They'll be back soon. No worries."

Cody wondered why the Astaire's were here and not helping Julian and his father, but remembered that hunters had this honor code. If you held a grudge with a vampire, it was your duty to get rid of them, no one else's. You alone had to kill the vampire. It wouldn't be the same if someone helped. It seemed old fashioned to Cody, but hunters stuck to tradition.

. . .

When John entered the room he _did_ find Julian, but he also saw Silas, holding Julian with a hand over his son's mouth. Julian's eyes spoke volumes; they widened when they saw his father walk in.

This _was_ a trap. This all had been a trap. Silas had everything planned and Julian and John fell right into his trap.

It wasn't until Julian tried to yell that John noticed the blood. Silas's hand was covering Julian's mouth but there was also a trail of blood snaking down Silas's forearm. Horrid realization washed over John. Julian had vampire blood in his system.

John had to be extra careful now.

"Hello, Jonathan." Silas said with a sinister smile. There was dried blood at the corner of his mouth and his fangs could be seen below his lip.

Silas was stuck in his thirties and had a long, young face. His hair was short, dark blonde, and curled loosely against his scalp. His eyes were dark brown and his eyelashes were so dark it almost looked like he was wearing makeup.

"Silas, whatever you're planning," John put the knife he was holding on the ground in surrender, but he didn't forget the gun holstered at his waist. His voice was shaky, and he hoped Silas couldn't tell. "Whatever you are planning, leave Julian out of it. This it between you and me." John spoke slowly.

Julian struggled against Silas's grip; his efforts were futile against the vampire's strength.

"This has _everything_ to do with your son, John." Silas seemed to find this funny because he laughed as he spoke. "Don't you see?" Silas's crazed tone turned into one of retaliation. "You took Harrison away from me. He was my father, my creator. You took my father away and left the son behind and now," Silas's nails dug into Julian's cheeks, making them bleed. "I'm going to take your son away." Julian struggled again, wanting so badly to fight. Julian hated being restrained; he wanted to fight. He wanted to be in control. Julian grunted in anger.

"Shhhh!" Silas screamed. "Don't you ever shut up?" Silas shook Julian hard and his dark hair fell into his eyes. Julian took that moment to make his move and bit down on Silas's hand. Despite the efforts, Julian was still in Silas's grip, but he created the distraction he needed.

John recognized the ploy and pulled out his gun. "Let him go."

A wicked grin spread ear to ear on Silas's face. "I don't think so."

John cocked the gun. "Let go of my son, Silas. This fight is between you and me. _I _killed your maker._ I_ should be the one you are punishing."

"Don't you get it? I _am_ punishing you." After a pause, Silas spoke again. His voice was calm and sinister at the same time, "Fire the gun, John. You want me dead, don't you?" Silas hissed, daring him to do so.

John looked into his son's eyes and they spoke to each other silently. It was a basic rule every hunter knew: never gamble with a vampire. If John fired and tried to kill Silas there was still a chance Silas's reaction would be faster than the bullet. Silas could kill Julian before the bullet got to him. But at the same time, Silas was young—only a hundred. Last time John gambled with his wife's life it had been with an ancient vampire who had immense speed. Silas could be slower. Silas could be killed before anything happened to Jules.

Julian knew what his father was thinking and tried to scream. Silas's grip only tightened. "What is it going to be?" Silas asked.

With shaking hands, a beating heart, and one last look at his son, John fired the gun.

It all happened so fast after that, almost too fast for a human eye to comprehend.

At the sound of the shot, Silas twisted Julian's neck. The crack could be heard. John would never forget that sound or the image of his son's limp body falling to the floor.

The bullet hit Silas in the chest before he could get away, killing him.

John ran over to Julian's body. His eyes were shut and there was a bloody smear of vampire blood across his mouth. His face was already pale. John broke into hysterical crying.

His son was turning into a vampire. He died with vampire blood in his system.

John took his son into his arms, cradling him and crying over him. Whimpering, he repeated, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry," over and over. John held a stake at Julian's chest, ready to give him the true death he deserved.

The hunter law stated that hunters could never live as a vampire. No hunter would want that life and no hunter would want the life for his or her loved one. Vampires were monsters. Not one hunter liked killing his or her loved ones, but it was the law. In that moment, John thought differently. He had already lost his wife; he couldn't lose his son too.

With tears streaming down his cheeks and shaking hands, John began wiping the blood off of Julian's face, erasing the evidence that he would turn. He forgot all about the humans they were trying to save: all that mattered was protecting his son. Picking Julian up like a child who had fallen asleep watching television, John scooped up his son and began making his way back to the others.

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**WHAT DO YOU THINK? please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope you guys like this chapter. It's pretty long compared to the other chapters (6 full pages on Word). ENJOY! and please review.. i don't get many and i wonder if this is worth continuing**

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Chapter 6:

His muscles were shaking and John couldn't tell if it was from overwhelming emotions or from muscle strain. He had been carrying his son's dead—_changing, _he reminded himself_—_body for almost a mile through the forest before he came across their car.

The hunters turned when they heard John's heavy feet (he hadn't been trying to be quiet) crunch through the dead leaves.

"Oh my God, John!" Mrs. Astaire said, barely at a whisper. "What happened?"

"Move the weapons out of the trunk." John ordered. Sweat was trickling down his forehead despite the cold night.

Once the back was clear he laid Julian's body there. He didn't say anything; he just looked at Julian's still body. Rather than speaking, John's mind was racing, trying to think of what to tell the others.

Hank finally spoke softly, "John?" He placed a hand on John's shoulder and John shrugged it off harshly.

"Drive us back to our house," John commanded as he began getting into the back himself. He gently put Julian's head in his lap, cradling him slightly.

"J—" Hank tried again. He hadn't moved since John's first order.

"Hank, my son is dead. Take us home. We need our time! Take us there." John was beginning to realize that they might not have much time. Julian could wake up at any moment and he didn't want the moment to be in front of the Astaire's. They would kill Julian if they knew he was turning into a vampire. A turning body looks the same as a dead body; thankfully no one could tell the difference. The Astaire's needed to think Julian died. "Drive!" John ordered again through gritted teeth; his eyes were welling up now.

Everyone scrambled into the car. He could hear Lexi's weeping in the seat in front. Cody was unbuckled and appeared to be sitting on his knees looking back at his father. His face was wet from crying. "Dad?!" he sobbed, barely able to speak. "What happened?" Cody asked the question that everyone was wondering.

John finally looked up. "Silas." The name came out like poison. No one asked for any further explanation. "It was a trap and he got to Julian. It was payback for me murdering Harrison. The only good that came out of this trip is that Silas is dead now."

It stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, everyone paying his or her respects through silence. All that could be heard was sniffling and the soft hum of the engine.

When Hank finally pulled into the McCaffrey house, everyone got out, including the Astaire's. Lexi was still softly crying and leaning into her mother's arms.

The Astaire's were about to come into the house as well, so John hastily spoke up. "Hank, you and I are like brothers, you know that, but this is a time for Cody and me." John said as he carried Julian out of the car.

"I understand." Hank replied and put a hand on John's shoulder. "We can start making arrangements for you."

John hesitated for a moment. _Funeral arrangements_, he reminded himself. "Yes, that would be helpful." Hunters had their own rituals when one of their own died, but the body still had to be buried at a cemetery, and so arrangements had to be made. John gave a weak smile and the Astaire's took the car back to their house.

"Dad," Cody's voice came out as a squeak. His eyes were red and puffy as he looked at his brother's pale body. His father said nothing, and continued into the house in a rushed silence.

John laid Julian's body onto the kitchen island and then fished through a drawer. He pulled out a piece of paper and walked over to Cody. He knelt down to look into his youngest son's eyes. "I need you to call this number. Tell him it's John McCaffrey and it's an emergency."

"Dad—?" Cody was confused.

"Now, Cody!" John didn't mean to yell, but he was frantic.

Cody began dialing the number and seemed to have connected with the person on the other end. John ran down to the basement to gather some supplies.

In their basement refrigerator they had stored several blood bags for luring purposes. Also if they kept a vampire hostage they could keep it alive and not let it starve, so they had a few extra bags of blood lying around.

He stopped at the weapons shelf and slowly grabbed a stake and put it in his waistband, hiding it under his shirt. He hated the idea that he might have to use it on Julian, but it was just a precaution.

When John came back upstairs, carrying several blood bags, Cody was sitting at the island with his hand in Julian's lifeless one. Cody turned and looked at his father. He glanced quickly at the blood. "What's going on? Why do you have those?"

John put the blood down onto the counter. "Your brother is turning into a vampire." Blunt, but he had to be when time was ticking.

"What?" the question was barely audible.

"Silas gave Julian his blood right before he snapped his neck. It was the best revenge he could think of for me killing Harrison." After Cody didn't respond he added, "I couldn't kill Julian. I couldn't lose another person in this family."

"But the rules say—" Cody stopped himself. He knew it was wrong, but he didn't want his older brother dead either. "He'll be a monster. He wouldn't want that."

"What if he can be taught not to be one?" John suggested. "Imagine the kind of hunter he could be. The strength, the speed…"

Cody looked at Julian; he looked like he might cry again. "Do you think it will work? Do you think he could be good? We wouldn't have to kill him if he became good. We don't kill vampires that aren't murderers." Cody was beginning to consider the idea.

"Exactly," John said. He hadn't thought about what would happen after Julian turned, but now that he thought about it, he liked the idea. Julian would be the best vampire hunter in the business, even better than before. He would no longer have the weaknesses that humans have. He could kill twice as many vampires without even breaking a sweat. He was a great vampire hunter as a human, and he would be unstoppable as a vampire.

As to break the silence, the doorbell rang. "Stay here," John ordered Cody and then walked quickly to the door and opened it. On the steps stood the vampire they had hunted the other day by the lake. He had said his name was Dmitri. Hank had suggested they kill Dmitri, but John defended Dmitri and said he wasn't hurting anyone so he deserved to live. Dmitri thanked John and gave him his number, telling him he owed the McCaffrey family his life.

He was tall with brown hair and blue eyes. His posture was proper and his face was concerned. He spoke with a hint of Russian accent and most importantly, didn't kill humans. "Your son said you had an emergency?"

"It's my eldest." John took a breath, not wanting to say the words many more times. "He's turning."

Dmitri's dark eyebrow's shot up. "Turning?"

John silently nodded his head. "That's why I need your help."

Dmitri blinked several times before answering. "I'm not very fluent in hunter culture, but aren't you supposed to—"

"I will not let my son die." With that, John turned and started for the kitchen. He didn't hear anyone follow so he turned and saw Dmitri standing in the same spot.

"I'm afraid I must be invited in," he said with a hint of a smile.

"Right, come in." John said, discombobulated. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to having vampires in the house."

They both walked into the kitchen. "Cody, you remember Dmitri? From when we went hunting by the lake with the Astaire's?" Cody didn't respond and remained hesitant toward the vampire.

"When did this happen?" Dmitri asked, looking at Julian.

"About a half hour ago. Silas fed him his blood and snapped his neck." John stared at Julian, but replayed the events in his head. "How long does this usually take?"

"Few hours… a day. It depends on the person."

John nervously crossed his arms and cupped his mouth. "So it's a waiting game?"

"Essentially." Dmitri explained.

. . .

An hour had gone by. All three of them were as still as Julian, afraid that if they moved they'd wake the dead.

It was four in the morning now. "Cody, how about you go to bed. I'll come get you when we are ready." John suggested.

"I'm not going anywhere. He's my brother. I deserve to be here too. You can control when I go hunting, but I'm staying here, with Julian." Cody was still sitting by Julian's side.

Dmitri gave a concerned look to John, speaking silently, and then turned to Cody. "When your brother wakes up… he won't be 'Julian'. He won't remember who you are. All he will see you as is a food source. He could kill you."

"I'm a vampire hunter," Cody said proudly. "My father's a hunter. _If_ Julian doesn't remember us, we can take care of ourselves."

Dmitri didn't have an answer to that and didn't argue any more. He didn't want the boy seeing his brother when he wakes up. People weren't the same when they first turned. They were feral and bloodthirsty, but there was no arguing with the hunters. Hunters are always stubborn. "Okay," Dmitri said.

They all sat in silence. Cody was on the barstool, close to Julian, John was at the nearby dinning table, and Dmitri was leaning against the counter. They were all waiting. And then the moment came.

Julian's eye shot open and he gasped for air. Just as quick as he opened them, he closed his eyes tightly. "Dim the kitchen lights," Dmitri ordered. John dimmed the lights for Julian's eyes and walked cautiously back to the counter. He took Cody and held him at the shoulders, protecting him. Dmitri looked back at Julian. "Julian," Dmitri softly questioned. "Do you remember what happened?"

Julian's breathing was sporadic and he looked incoherent. As he sat up, his eyes were darting around the room in confusion and his eyebrows were pinched. "Do you hear that?" Dmitri glanced quickly at John and then back to Julian, who was rubbing his neck as if to get a kink out.

"Do you remember what happened, Julian?" Dmitri repeated. His voice was calm, but hesitant, like he was beckoning a wild animal, afraid that if he said something wrong it would go into a frenzy.

"The beating," Julian continued on, ignoring Dmitri's question. "It won't stop!" He put his hands over his ears, but then his face softened into curiosity. "What is it?"

"Julian, I need you to focus—"

Julian's head snapped to the side. "It's them. I can smell it. I-I can't explain, but the beating, it's theirs, and the scent goes with it."

"Julian?" John started cautiously. Julian had gotten off the counter and had to find his balance. It was different now, using his muscles. He knew his body seemed off, but he couldn't figure out why.

The boy smelled the best, and again, Julian couldn't understand why. _Smelling someone? _Julian felt himself being pulled toward the boy.

Dmitri took a wary step forward, but John held up a hand. "Wait," John had seen plenty of feral vampires before, and Julian was not acting like one. This was a good sign.

Julian continued to walk toward the boy and the man behind him, but it was the boy he was interested in. As Julian walked closer the beating picked up. He tilted his head to the side. Was it a heartbeat? Could he hear the boy's heartbeat? Yes. It was the boys heartbeat, and it was mesmerizing, like a drum summoning him closer.

Julian's lip pulled up into a slight snarl. Now that he was closer he could not only hear the beating of the boy's heart, but the pulsing of his blood as well. It made Julian's mouth water.

"Jules?" the boy spoke. His voice was a little shaky. It only made Julian want him more. The boy was his prey. The scent coming from the boy was like no other and all Julian wanted to do was sink his teeth into the tender flesh and drink the sweet smelling blood. There was an aching feeling on his canines and his stomach felt hallow. Every trance-like step he took toward the boy his mind kept on saying '_yes_'.

Julian would have pounced—he was crouched and ready to—but a pair of arms locked around him. "Julian! No!" A voice yelled. In protest, Julian snapped and hissed, trying to break free of the grip. He could a sharp prick on his lip—his own teeth. He bared them at the boy.

"Julian!" the older man yelled, holding the boy close. "Jules?" the boy said ever so softly.

"Let me go!" Julian protested, but the arms held.

"Jules, please," the boy was crying softly now. Why was he crying? He shouldn't be crying. _He shouldn't be afraid of me_, a voice said in the back of Julian's mind. "It's me, Cody. Remember me?" the boy asked. Cody? Why did that name sound familiar?

Julian stopped struggling, but he was still being held. The look of hunger that was on his face was replaced with one of confusion. He no longer felt the pick of fangs on his lips. "Cody?" the name felt familiar coming out of Julian's mouth.

The boy—Cody—smiled a bit, but hints of tears were still in his eyes. "Yeah, your brother, remember?"

"Cody." It came out as soft as a whisper. He remembered now. Everything—Cody, his father, Lexi, vampires, hunting, Silas feeding Julian his blood, and being killed by Silas. "Cody," Julian's lower lip began to quiver. His legs could no longer support the weight of his body and he collapsed to the ground. The hands that were holding him let him fall, but returned gently on his shoulders. Julian's face fell into his hands, crying.

His father kneeled next to him, but Julian didn't lift his head. "You have to understa—" he never finished the sentence.

Julian, with inhuman speed grabbed his father by the neck and shoved him against the wall. "You kept me like this?!" Julian could feel his father's pulse under his hand and he could tell his fangs were out again. "You should have killed me!"

"I—"

Julian yelled. "I should be dead! Not a monster!" The realization of what happened truly hit him then. He was a vampire—bloodsucking, murderous monster. Julian wanted death; he would take it any day over being a vampire. Julian felt it in every bone in his body. He felt dirty. Disgusting. Revolting. He felt like a monster—he even had fangs and no doubt his eyes were red.

"Do it." He fumed, clutching his father's neck. John didn't, _couldn't _respond. Julian yelled this time. "Do it!" He saw fear in his father's eyes, raw fear. It was one of the only times Julian saw fear in his father's eyes, but the fear wasn't over Julian's force or yelling, it was over what Julian was asking him to do. "Jules," His father sounded wounded.

Now cupping his father's neck, Julian tenderly pulled his father close and rested his forehead against his father's. The pulse under his skin was beckoning Julian. He felt sick for wanting to drink blood.

Whispering now, tears streaming, Julian pleaded. "Kill me. Please, Dad. I don't want to be like this. I don't want to be a monster."

John's eyes were tearing up too as he cupped his hands at Julian's jaw so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "You don't have to be a monster." John's eyes then went to Dmitri. Julian didn't recognized the man until his father explained, "this is the vampire I hunted down by the lake—the one that doesn't kill to survive. His name is Dmitri."

Julian turned to look at the vampire. The vampire held out a hand with a smile on his face, "Blood bags and animals…" Julian barely acknowledged the vampire.

"He can teach you how to live without being a killer," John continued.

"I don't want to live like this!" Julian repeated himself. His emotions were everywhere. Anger was rage, and sadness was depression; it felt like he was feeling everything at the same time. "Every bone in my body, every muscle, every instinct is screaming at me. _You_ trained to kill vampires, Dad. Yeah, every once and a while we find a peaceful vamp that we don't need to kill, but that doesn't mean I want to be one!"

"Think about the kind of hunter you could be." Julian's fathered countered. "You'd be able to protect so many more people, and hunt more vampires than ever. I couldn't lose you."

"Why won't you listen to me?! This isn't what I want. You were just being selfish. You couldn't kill me, like a proper hunter, you had to let me live and be this monster." Julian, exhausted, collapsed to the ground again. He felt warm tears crawl down his face, but when he rubbed his face his hand came away red. "Shit," He was crying blood, just like a true vampire.

John kneeled next to his son and spoke in a soft voice, trying a different approach. "You think you're going to hurt someone? Become a killer?" John asked and Jules looked up at him. John remembered when Jules was just a child, when he would wake up from nightmares. He remembered all the times he comforted his son at night. John remembered how vulnerable her looked then and how he looked the same now. He remembered how he would do anything to protect his son, to make him feel better, to make him happy. "Do you know how I know you won't hurt anyone or become like the vampires we hunt?" Julian's head was sagging in his hands, and blood was covering his hands. "When you woke up, you wanted to kill Cody right?" John asked. Julian looked at Cody and pinched his face in self-hatred for what he tried to do. "But you didn't!" John said. Jules looked up now. His green irises contrasted with the redness in his eyes from crying. "What happened that made you stop?" His father asked.

Julian looked at Cody as he spoke, "I couldn't hurt my brother." Jules took a rattily breath. "I couldn't hurt him,"

"You're a brand new vampire, you haven't fed, what should that combination create?" John quizzed. With so many years of training, Julian was sure to know the answer.

"I should be ripping your throats out." Jules said softly, ashamed. He _had_ thought that in the beginning. He wanted to hurt his family.

"But you stopped," John finished. "You remembered us, even when you shouldn't have. _That's_ why there's hope for you."

"Put me in the cage," Julian said softly. Before John could respond Julian kept on talking. "I almost attacked Cody. I could have killed him."

"But you didn't," Dmitri spoke this time. Everyone was trying to convince Julian he was going to be okay, but he kept on denying it. "You stopped attacking. Not a lot of newborn vamps can do that. You're already showing signs of control."

"I don't know if you're good at hiding it, but I know you feel it too." Julian pointed accusingly at Dmitri. "You're right, I stopped myself, but that doesn't mean I don't feel the same way. My brain is screaming at me to rip my brother's throat out right now. It's only a matter of time before the screaming gets to me and I give in. I don't want to hurt anyone if and_ when_ I snap." Julian looked at his father, "Put me in the cage downstairs so I won't hurt anyone."

"Fine," John said. He was going to protest, but he agreed. He helped his son up from the floor, led him downstairs and locked him in the silver enforced cage.

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**What do you think? Don't worry, we will see more of Dmitri soon.. I just kind of wanted to focus on the family more in this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. i LOVE hearing what you guys like about this story. xoxo**


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